#SetTheVCR for the Week of February 10th, 2020

Hey not sure what to watch this week on the small screen? No worries #SetTheVCR is here to help you make some of those decisions easier. Each week Sammy Younan and I will give you our picks for each day of the coming week. Please note – enjoyment NOT guaranteed.

All times are Eastern Standard Time so please adjust for your time zone.

Finally! All the so-called big event interruptions are done for another year. No more Super Bowl or Oscars to get in our way. Let’s watch some TV this week and hopefully enjoy ourselves while doing it. We have some fun recommendations for you to give your mind a break and some to engage your mind a little more. Television can be a wondrous thing at times.

It’s #SetTheVCR and yes we are aware Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and as such we’re providing a broad range of romantical tv choices. If you are single; if you have somebody you treasure or if you are trapped in a cold dead faithless marriage we got you covered!

Sammy Younan

Monday, February 10

Desus and Mero (Anytime / Crave) – While I struggled with Desus and Mero during Season 1 (I can allow a show to find its footing but there’s gotta be potential some spark of hope) I did not finish the first season I just found it not funny. Season 2 is back and the first episode guest is David Letterman. Yes! It’s rare to see Letterman in a hip hop environment and I’m not entirely sure why he agreed to do the interview. Maybe he just wanted to get out of the house? Maybe this is part of his subtle reputation renovation; I cannot understand Letterman. I just appreciate his work. So check out the first episode I did not watch any other episodes after that. It’s on Crave in Canada and on Showtime On Demand in the US as it originally aired on February 3rd, 2020. (Sammy)

McMillion$ (10pm / HBO) – I remember when this happened the scandal surrounding the fraud being perpetrated through McDonald’s Monopoly game. Now HBO has done a 6-part docu-series telling the story of what happened, how it happened, who did it and those whose lives were destroyed by it. I totally missed last week’s episode so now I have to get caught up and keep watching. This series was something I was looking forward to I dropped the ball not only on watching it but recommending it last week. Ugh, I failed you. Sorry. Now I get the chance to make it up to you and I hope you take me up on that offer. (Mr. Green)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK2ZGOsbeqo

Tuesday, February 11

Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (9pm / HBO) – We surprisingly don’t have many (any?!) Dick Cavett documentaries. So I’m not surprised the kids today don’t know Dick. “You’ll never go broke appealing to the lowest common denominator.” I am the champ when it comes to those cheap and obvious puns. Speaking of the champ the latest Muhammad Ali documentary is HBO’s Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes covering their relationship, especially during Dick Cavett Show appearances. Ali’s relationship with sports broadcaster Howard Cosell was another well-documented media-relationship so this new documentary should be fascinating as a media commentary. Generally, we don’t see relationships like this, it’s not like Steph Curry and like Jimmy Fallon are always getting into hijinks, you know? (Sammy)

For Life (10pm / ABC) – SERIES PREMIERE! A new show from the alphabet network from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and creator Hank Steinberg. For Life, inspired by a true story, is about Aaron Wallace who is wrongfully convicted only to find a way back by becoming a lawyer to fight for other inmates to help them in court. Along the way, he just might find a way to reverse the injustice he was dealt years earlier and get to see his daughter and future grandchild outside of prison walls. Sure it has all the earmarks of a schmaltzy life-affirming story but it does look interesting from the trailer and I’m a sucker for courtroom dramas. (Mr. Green)

Wednesday, February 12

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (3 am /Netflix) – So To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was all the way back in 2018. We were slowly introduced to Lana Condor who’d go on to A+ ruckus in Deadly Class. The eagerly anticipated follow up to To All the Boys is finally… finally!! out today. Is Lana gonna live happily forever with Noah Centineo (how could she not?) or will she be tempted to stray (how could she?!)? The third movie To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean is already in post-production. So I’m expecting this one to have an open ending. For now, toss your snuggie into the dryer for 30 seconds and dump your microwave popcorn into a big bowl it’s movie night. (Though if you have somebody special in your life maybe save this for Valentine’s Day?) (Sammy)

Mr. Green’s Pick of the Week

LEGO Masters (9pm / FOX) – I got a chance to catch the first episode last week and while I’m not a fan of reality shows in general ones like this where there is even a loose form of competition I get more intrigued. Will Arnett (LEGO Batman, The LEGO Movie) hosts along with judges and Brick Masters Jamie Berard and Amy Corbett. The show has 10 teams competing to win $100,000 and the title of LEGO Master. Already after the first episode, I have a couple of teams that I want to see eliminated and a few that I would like to see win the whole thing. Sadly one of those teams Mark & Boone faced a serious blow in the first episode (Dream Park Theme Park) when their truly amazing Timber Town build ran into an issue during the judging phase with it’s rollercoaster. However, they still managed to avoid the elimination cut this week. Phew, that was close! The show is fun even with Arnett’s trademark over the top comedy and bad dad jokes. A must watch for any fan of the ultimate play system, LEGO. (Mr. Green)

Thursday, February 13

The Changeling (Anytime / Netflix) – A 2008 movie The Changeling was added to Netflix on February 1st. If you don’t know Changeling was written by J. Michael Straczynski a name well known to comic nerds (he’s written excellent Spider-Man and Superman runs) and to television geeks (co-creating Sense8 and Babylon 5). The epic journey (and I fully acknowledge that phrase is overused but in Straczynski’s case it is apt) to make The Changeling and how it kept him alive; his slim hope as his career struggled is documented in his outstanding and terrifying memoir Becoming Superman: My Journey From Poverty to Hollywood. The ah, first 100 pages are disturbing. The man has not had an easy life. So while this is a cool movie suggestion for you it is also support for Straczynski’s work and a book recommendation: check out Becoming Superman (with a Neil Gaiman introduction). The hardback is out now; paperback drops June 23, 2020. (Sammy)

Star Trek: Picard (9pm / CBS All Access) – Seriously what made you think anything else would be here. The series continues to build an impressive backstory and adding in new characters as well as peppering in ones from TNG. Since I’m currently rewatching TNG it’s even better as you get to see some of the smaller ties also emerging and where they are possibly going in future episodes. Especially since they announced season 2 was greenlit before the first episode even aired. I can’t imagine how much larger my love for this show will go. (Mr. Green)

Friday, February 14

Ask Dr. Ruth (Anytime / Crave/Hulu) – It’s Valentine’s Day! So in honour of that romantic recognition, I suggest Ask Dr. Ruth a 2019 documentary that traces her life. As a survivor of the Holocaust to the sexual revolution to her ’80s popularity, Dr. Ruth has lived an extraordinary and utterly raunchy life. We could all be so fortunate. In America, you can see this on Hulu (it is a Hulu documentary) and in Canada, you can watch this on Crave (the puns write themselves sometimes). And as always with documentaries who knows, maybe you’ll learn something. Oh, so that’s where it’s supposed to go… (Sammy)

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown (8pm / ABC) – Have a little fun on Valentine’s Day with Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. The 1975 classic is airing again to share some of the Charles Schultz magic with us and brighten our Valentine’s. Sure, it may not be as popular a special as the Christmas or Halloween ones but the Peanuts gang are always a good time. So, enjoy Charlie Brown’s sad attempts over Valentine’s and then enjoy yours with your special someone. If you don’t have a special someone, no worries enjoy the special and then check out Sammy’s pick above. Either way, you should have a fun night. (Mr. Green)

Saturday, February 15

Polaroid (Anytime / Netflix) – You that “cheap” $5-10 million horror movie genre? Wish Upon, Truth or Dare, Countdown etc. Typically a good looking cast gets into modern trouble by encountering something ancient and powerful. Well, have you seen Polaroid? I have not! I cannot wait to watch this. “High school loner Bird Fitcher finds a vintage Polaroid camera that holds dark and mysterious secrets. She soon realizes that those who get their picture taken by it meet a tragic and untimely death.” That’s What You Get!! Oh man, so excited for this cheese, gonna turn off all the lights and really enjoy this. Which hot teen is gonna eat it first?! (Sammy)

https://youtu.be/wqHr8MUe8vY

The Rookie (8pm / ABC) – ABC replays back to back to back the last three episodes of The Rookie before the winter break happened. This will help jog the memory for those that don’t remember what happened 2 months ago. As we inch ever closer to its return on February 23rd. This show thanks to an amazing cast has become quite popular and enjoyed at my house. (Mr. Green)

Sunday, February 16

Sammy’s Pick of the Week

War of the Worlds (9pm / Epix) – I want to see War of the Worlds!! First let’s clear up some confusion. THE War Of The Worlds is the 2019 BBC production (a faithful time period book adaptation with the Black Mirror actor) while, War Of The Worlds is the Fox/StudioCanal 2019 adaptation. (JT Is Right: Drop the “The” it’s cleaner.) This is the modern day Gabriel Byrne War Of The Worlds from 2019 (released back in October in France and in Africa. It is now coming to America today but will not air in Canada. As if all that wasn’t confusing and rude it’ll air in the UK on March 5, 2020. Yeah, so when people insist they can’t stand spoilers stay offline). Season 1 is 8 episodes set in today’s Europe. It begins of course when humans receive a transmission from another galaxy and the countdown clock to humanity’s demise begins! If you do not have access to this read the spectacular book: H.G. Wells is a sci-fi GOAT. So annoyed: get your streaming plan together people! (Sammy)

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (8pm / NBC) – SERIES PREMIERE! Okay, that’s a bit of a fib on my part. The first episode aired a few weeks back in January as a preview. Now we get that pilot again plus the brand new second episode airing right after it at 9pm. So if you enjoyed it you can stick with it and listen to more singing and dancing throughout the night. Which, granted is not for everyone but there are those out there who will flock to this show for that reason. Surprisingly enough for me, I’m willing to give another chance and I don’t like musical type shows or movies normally. But the quirky fun of this show so far is endearing me to it. The real test will be if I stay with it. (Mr. Green)

Well, there you go plenty of options for the week ahead. Enjoy yourself and watch responsibly.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!